Nicolas Vega -
CNBC
Netflix's plan to prevent users from sharing their passwords with each other is starting to take shape.
The streaming
giant
, which announced last month that it would begin preliminary rollout of its strategy soon, has updated its FAQ page with some details about what users can expect.
The main hurdle Netflix will put up for password sharers will be device verification when phones, computers and
streaming
devices connect to an account other than the primary user's home network.
[These are the new abilities of the humanoid robot designed by Boston Dynamics]
This will trigger when someone accesses your account on a new device that is not associated with your home, or if your account is used repeatedly away from home.
Netflix will send an email to the primary account holder with a 4-digit verification code that they will have 15 minutes to enter before it expires, the FAQ site says.
These are some of the novelties presented at CES 2023
Jan 7, 202300:53
Netflix says it uses IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity to determine which devices are part of the same household.
In an earlier version of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that has since been removed, it stated that “to ensure uninterrupted access to Netflix, connect to your primary location's Wi-Fi, open the app or the Netflix website and watch something at least once every 31 days.
This creates a trusted device so you can watch Netflix content, even when you're away from your primary location."
[Scientists reveal a new theory about the mysterious 'fairy circles' that arise in the Namibian desert]
Netflix has said in the past that more than 100 million households use a shared password.
If you get caught sharing a password, don't worry about getting charged right away.
Netflix says it "will not automatically charge you if you share your account."
Although a company representative did not immediately respond to CNBC Make It's request for comment on how users might be billed, the company's efforts to crack down on password sharing in the past may give an indication of what is to come.
In Peru, Costa Rica and Chile, Netflix charged up to $3 a month to add "subaccounts" to users who lived outside the account holder's home, CNBC reported last year.
